Read a full match report of the engage Super League Grand Final between Leeds
Rhinos and St Helens at Old Trafford on Saturday Oct 10, 2009.

As farewell parties go, they surely can not get much more heartbreaking than this as far as Sean Long is concerned as Leeds Rhinos ruined his final match in a St Helens shirt by triumphing in the Super League Grand Final for an unprecedented third successive year at Old Trafford.

Long has been inspirational for Saints for more than a decade but last night he was unable to inspire his team to victory in a nail-biting finale that saw his team suffer defeat in shattering fashion with just inches denying their talismanic figure a fairytale ending to his Saints career as two tries from Wasps-bound Lee Smith and man of the match Kevin Sinfield underlined Leeds as the game’s foremost power with an historic win.

Fireworks greeted both sides as they emerged from the players’ tunnel and scrum-half Long did his best to make sure that he marked the end of an era for the Knowsley Road club ahead of his move to Hull with a typically impish display for the underdogs who took command of the contest in fortuitous fashion in the 14th minute.

Long’s clever promptings pushed Leeds onto the back foot following a bright start by the Yorkshire club before an attempted grubber kick by Jon Wilkin ricocheted kindly off Kevin Sinfield and popped up into the grasp of Kyle Eastmond and he raced over unchallenged to touch down under the posts right in front of the Leeds supporters before adding two points.

Saints coach Brian McClennan saw his team defend heroically to keep Leeds at bay and then his players capitalised on a rush of blood from scrum-half Rob Burrow who was penalised for offside near his own try line to allow Eastmond to extend the lead with a penalty.

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Despair soon set in for Saints skipper Keiron Cunningham, though, as he was forced out of the game, presumably due to the fractured hand that put him in doubt for this contest, as he was turned into a frustrated spectator.

Leeds eventually got off the mark in the 29th minute through Matt Diskin who managed to get the better of four opponents to stretch out two hands to touch down in an impressive show of determination from the former Dewsbury Moor amateur.

Sinfield’s luck went from bad to worse as he saw his attempt conversion bounce back off an upright in front of the Stretford End.

That set-back mattered not to Mick Potter’s team who came roaring back at the opponents and drew level when Francis Meli pressed the self-destruct button inexplicably to grab Danny McGuire’s hopeful prod forward three feet from the try line and Smith could hardly have believed his luck as he pounced on the loose ball.

Sinfield failed again with his attempted conversion but Leeds were in the ascendancy and referee Steve Ganson’s half-time whistle must have been music to Saints’ ears as Long, making his 296th and final appearance before heading down the M62, and his colleagues faded badly following an auspicious start that was clearly mentally and physically draining.

The second half began as badly as the first ended as Ade Gardner invited trouble when he mishandled Sinfield’s kick off. The winger was left to rue his error when the ball found its way back to Sinfield whose drop goal saw the reigning champions stick their noses in front for the first time in this battle of the Roses in a ruthless manner.

An invigorated Gardner sought to atone for his mistakes led Saints’ resistance with a powerful run down the wing and only a brilliant last-ditch tackle by Ryan Hall saw him pushed into touch inches away from the try line. Although Brent Webb was penalised for sliding in knee-first, Saints were unable to take advantage of his misdemeanour.

Long, whose tackling caught the eye, demonstrated his desire to go out on a high by trying to charge through the Leeds defence and his fortitude was rewarded on the hour when he was the victim of a high tackle by Rob Burrow that allowed Eastmond to restore his team’s lead on the hour.

The lead lasted just minutes as Saints collapsed under pressure. First, Gardner was guilty of a knock-on and Cunningham, shortly after returning to the fray, was punished for kicking the ball under the posts at a Leeds play-the-ball.

Sinfield slotted over for the points to put his team back in control.

Leeds lived dangerously, though, and following Long’s loose pass, Eastmond was only denied a try that could easily have settled this pulsating encounter because his left foot brushed the line as he charged down the wing.

Leeds made the most of that narrow escape when McGuire’s prod forward was picked up by Smith who charged over, with the try allowed to stand despite strong suspicions of offside but that mattered not to Sinfield who effectively put the Grand Final beyond Long and his team before Burrow had the final say with a dropped goal.